


red

by WonderBoy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabble, Gen, Keith Returns, M/M, Red Paladin Bonding, Red Paladin Keith (Voltron), Red Paladin Lance (Voltron), Reunion, Romance if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 16:51:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14313063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderBoy/pseuds/WonderBoy
Summary: Obviously all reunions include a candlelight dinner, that doesn't make it romantic





	red

**Author's Note:**

> I vaguely remember writing this, I don't really remember finishing it, either way I found it on my computer so here it is - a sort of apology for the fics/series I haven't been updating. Thankfully everyone who's commented on my stories are amazingly sweet and understanding/patient but unlike in the past, I really want to be working on these stories, I just don't have the time. 
> 
> Here's to hoping this semester doesn't kill me and I can finally work on things that aren't for a grade again!

Keith walked into the hangar, suspicion only mounting when no one but the lions was anywhere to be found. It sounded like muffled music was coming from Red. He looked back down at the note he had found on his bed when he got back from the training deck.

_ Lion Hangar. Special meeting. Don't be late. _

It was an unreasonable request considering the note’s author - he was fairly certain it was Lance, though he had no proof - hadn't even included a time. But he had come, as soon as he showered and redressed, out of...morbid curiosity, maybe.

“Uh...hello?”

No one responded verbally to his call, but the word had barely finished echoing in the chamber before Red was shifting and opening her mouth to allow him entrance to the cockpit. The music's volume increased, but still no one called out to him to acknowledge his presence.

He stepped forward, pausing to place a hand on her nose in greeting. It had been a long time since he had been with any of the lions, let alone Red.

“Hey, girl,” he said softly.

He was sure he imagined it, but for a moment it sounded like she purred in response.

Ducking his head, he slipped inside. With one hand on the wall to keep himself steady as Red righted herself once again, he moved towards the cockpit. He could see a warm glow coming from the small room to light his way. There was normally a light to help the paladins navigate through the lions, but there was something different about it today.

Because the light was coming from Altean candles. Lance sat on the ground, behind the pilot chair, on a spread out blanket. Beside him was a basket of some sorts, and a small device Keith assumed was providing the music.

“You’re late,” he said when he saw Keith, but a smirk teased at his lips.

Keith held up the note between two fingers as be crossed the space to sit across from him on the blanket. “You didn’t exactly give me a time frame. What’s going on?”

Lance took the note, tossing it behind him without bothering to look at it. “Oops,” he shot Keith a cheeky smile, but when Keith didn’t return it, he shrugged. “Red missed you.”

Keith looked around at the unresponsive screens. “I’m not her paladin anymore.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t mean she didn’t miss you,”

Silence settled between them. Keith didn’t recognize the music playing but there was something soothing about the soft notes. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, there was something comforting about being back in one of the lions. His eyes started to flutter shut, when Lance broke the silence again.

“Are you really back?”

Opening his eyes, Keith turned to face him. “Why?”

“You pretty much ran to the Blade of Marmora as soon as you had the chance,” Lance shrugged again. His voice dropped, as if nervous to finish his thought. “And after finding your mom...”

Keith studied the boy across from him. He racked his brain for the moment he began to see Lance as a friend and not just an annoyance but nothing solid came to mind. Like everyone on the Castle of Lions, Lance slowly carved himself a place in Keith’s life, whether Keith wanted him there or not, and made himself comfortable.

“I’m back,” He looked away when he saw Lance smile. “But you don’t really need me. I don’t even have a lion to pilot.”

“Of course we need you!” Lance insisted. He looked as surprised as Keith felt by the outburst, but he didn’t take it back. “And you’ll always have a lion. I mean, I don’t really speak with Black, but I have it on good authority that Red would take you back. Like, I said, she missed you.”

“Was she the only one?”

Surely, Keith figured, the sudden rosy color to Lance’s cheeks was just a strange reflection of the candlelight and Red’s cockpit.

“O-Of course not,” Lance replied. He gestured to the basket next to him. “Hunk was devastated. He made all sorts of new treats and you weren’t around to try them.”

“How careless of me. I’ll have to apologize to him as soon as possible.”

Lance nodded. “Yes, you do that.”

Despite himself, Keith smiled. “Well, I’d better go do it then,” Keith started to get to his feet but Lance stopped him with a frantic wave of his arms.

“W-Wait. I mean, I brought some of the treats so you might as well try them now so that you can give him a detailed review when you finally do see him.” Lance flipped open the top to the container beside him pulling out a bowl of something  _ like  _ space goo, but purple and with some kind of fruit, maybe, sticking out of it.

It didn’t look particularly appetizing, truthfully, but he sat back down anyways, taking the bowl and an offered spoon. Lance pulled out a matching set for himself, holding up the spoon with a soft smile.

“To the Red Paladins,”

Keith tapped his own spoon against Lance’s. “To red.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, feel free to come yell at me, request new things, or just stalk the progress of other fics on tumblr @ thathopelessromantic.tumblr.com
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
